Repeating and stopping attachment for phonographs



Jan. 3, 1928.

F. H. ADAMS REPEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1919 I-IZUQIZTC P V TM #Jm Why M Jan. 3, 1928. 7 1,655,081

F. H. ADAMS REPEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed May 26 19 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 3, 1928. 1,655,081

F. H. ADAMS REPEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed May 26, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

FRANK H. ADAMS, F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO.

REPEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Application filed May 26, 1919.

This invention relates to a repeating and stopping attachment for sound reproducing machines of the disk record type, which for convenience will be termed phonographs, and the invention covers certain improvements over the attachments disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,275,823, and in my prior appli *ations Serial No. 195,001, renewed Octoher 5, 1917, Serial No. 3,674, filed January 22,1925, and Serial No. 24,83, filed April 30, 1915.

lhe presentinvention relates to numerous features of the attachment including the manner of mounting the so-called pilot arm and of connecting the same to the grooved elevating and lowering device which elevates and lowers the innen end of the so-called track arm so that the latter may return the tone arm to starting position to either cause the playing of the record to be repeated or to stop the instrument after the record has been played a predetermined number of times. Additionally the invention relates to certain features involving the stop finger which projects laterally from the track arm and stops the outward movement of the tone arm also to an improved form of brake which after predetermined repeats is positively actuated by the weight of the track arm to stop the instrument; and also to certain improvements in the mounting of the roller which is carried by the sound box and is adapted to engage and run down the track arm when the latter is inclined, to cause the tone arm to be restored to starting position.

The invention may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be de scribed in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the talking machine or so-called phonograph equipped with my improved repeating and stopping attachment; Fig. 2 is a sectional v'evv through the same showing the turn-table, disk record and attachment in side elevation, and showing by dotted lines the manner in which the track arm is elevated to restore the tone arm and reproducer to the starting position; Fig. 3 is a similar view of a part of the same on an enlarged scale; F 4 is a bottom view of the track arm; Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially Serial No. 299,698.

along the line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a 3 on view of the attachment with parts 1' lOliQll away and in section with the track rm removed; Fig. 7 is a similar view with he track arm in place; Figs. '8 to 11 are deno ed views of the roller and its mounting; and Fig. 12 is a view showing the manner in which a pilot arm carrying the elevating and lowering device and the track arm may be swung as a unit away from operative position to permit a record to be removed from or applied to the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents the horizontal partition or platform of the sound reproducing instrument, which partition or platform is just beneath the rotary turntable 11 adapted to support and to rotate a disk record such as shown at 12 when rotated through motor driven spindle 13. The instrument includes also a tone arm 11 of usual construction and mounting, and having the customary pivoted U-tube 15,

provided at its free end with a reproducer or sound boi; 16 carrying a needle 17.'

T he repeating and stopping attachment includes a member 18, which may be termed he brake box, adapted to be secured to the partition or platform 19 just outside the pe 'iphery of the turn-table, as shown in Figs. 2 ad it. This member comprises in addition to e base portion. 18 thereof, a pair of parallel -de walls 18 and 18 and a rear wall 18. Additionally the attachment includes two arms 19 and 20, both of which are adapted to extend inwardly from the brake box toward the center of the turn-table, and both being pivoted to the brake box through the medium of a pin 21, extending between the side walls 18 and 18 of the brake box near the top thereof. The two arms 19 and 20 are arranged one above the other, the arm 19 being what may be termed a pilot arm which is normally stationary, i. e. stationary while the repeating or stoppin functions are being performed, and the upper arm 20 being the track arm which is adapted to be inclined to restore the tone arm to starting position, and finally to apply the brake and stop the rotation of the turn-table.

The pilot arm 19 at its inner end cirries another important part of the attachment. namely, a grooved elevating and lowering device 22 for the track arm. This device is in the form of a cylinder having peripheral elevating and lowering grooves 22 i1 til and 22 substantially as shown in my three adapted to receive with a fairly tight frietion lit, the upper end of the turn-table spindle 13, this socketbeing preferably provided with a slotted bushing designed to receive the end of the spindle and to provide the necessary frictional engagement therewith to cause the device 22. to be rotated by the.

spindle while atthe same time permitting the device 22 to be elevated from, or lowered onto the spindle when the pilot arm 19 is swung on its pivot. The pilot arm has at its inner free end an opening 19 (see Fig. 6) which when the arm is in normal horizontal position is coaxial with the spindle 13, and rather loosely receives the lower end of the device 22, the inner end of this arm occupying a position between a disk 22 secured to the lower end of the device 22 and the grooved portion of the latter. Thus it will be seen that when the pilot arm 19 is swung upward about its pivotal axis it will lift and carry with it the elevatin and lowering de vice 22, and when the armis swung down- ,ward to horizontal position over the record, the device 22 will be lowered onto the upper end of the spindle so that it may be rotated thereby. 1

The track arm carries at its inner end a dog 23, pivoted at 24 to the inner portion of the arm and having two oppositely disposed fingers 23 and 23 one of which is designed to engage the elevating groove of the member 22, and the other the lowering groove to first elevate and then lower the inner end of the track arm. This dog is mounted and operated substantially as dis closed in my application Serial No. 24,843, above referred to hence only a brief description will here be necessary. It will be sulficient to state that when the needle reaches the end of the playing groove while playing a record it engages a trip finger 25, adjustably mounted in a slot 26 of the track arm, and the rocking of the trip finger causes the flat inner base of the linger to shift a bell crank lever 27 so that the hooked end 28 of the bell crank is moved out of engagement with a shoulder 29 of the dog, allowing it to be swung by a spring 30 so as to cause one of the parts or fingers of the dog to engage in the lower part of the elevating groove, the dognormally resting freely on the inner end of the track arm as shown in Fig. 3. The engagement of the dog with the elevating groove causes the track to be inclined, i. e. its inner end elevated, and when the dog reaches the upper end of the elevating groove it is engaged by a cam 22 at the top of the device 22, and this shifts the opposite finger of' the dog into the lowering V groove, and at the same time resets the dog with reference to the hook 28 of the bell crank 27. The dog then travels down the device 22 and when the track arm reaches substantially horizontal position, the dog leaves the lowering groove and again rests on the inner end of the pilot arm.

is the track arm is inclined, it engages a roller 31, rotatably mounted in a peculiarly shaped finger or strip 32, which is carried by the sound box, as will be hereinafter explained, and this causes the tone arm to be moved toward starting position.

The return movement of the tone arm toward starting posit-ion is stopped at the right point by the needle 17 (or some other part movable with the sound box) engaging a stop finger 33 projecting laterally from the track arm near its outer end, certain details of this finger and of the parts associated with it forming part of the present invent-ion. It will be observed that the stop linger 33 is connected to the track arm through the medium ofa pin 34, on which the finger 33 has a slight pivotal movement, which pin extends through an inclined slot of the track arm. The inner end of the finger through which the pin 34 extends, is enlarged and has a fiat edge which normally bears against the small bar or finger 36, pivoted at 37 to the under side of the track arm near its outer end. This bar 36 extends along the under side of the track arm nearly but not entirely parallel to the slot 35 along which the finger 33 may be adjusted, and it is held up against the flat edge of the base of the finger 33 by a rather weak spring 133. the construction being such that when the needle on the returning tone arm engages the part of the finger 33 which projects laterally beyond the track arm, the finger is by the impact rocked slightly, and this in turn slightly rocks the'bar 36. This compresses the spring sufficiently that it may promptly return the bar 36 and finger 33 to normal position, and moves the needle which still engages the stop finger into the playing groove, if, perchance, it did not enter the playing groove when the tone arm, sound box and needle were restored to starting position.

Records of diiierent sizes require an ad justment of the stop finger 33 which will be. positioned along the slot 35 so that when the tone arm is stopped theneedle will be restored to the beginning of the playing groove of the recorr The, slot 35. is inclined as shown, for two reasons. In the first place. the inclination of the slot is such that it effectively resists movement of the stop finger along the slot by the blow or impact of the needle when the latter engages it, as the tone arm is swung to starting position. If the slot were straight or substantially' straight there would be a tendency for the impact of the needle to move the finger :33 along the slot. A second function of the it.

Lil

clined slot is that regardless of the position of the stop finger with reference to the slot 35, a suflicient portion of the finger will project laterally beyond the track arm to he engaged by the needle it is swung outwardly to starting position, the inclination of the slot corresponding substantially to the inclination or curvature ot the inner edge of the track arm, the latter being curved substantially about a radius equal to the distance between the track arm and the axis about whichthe tone arm turns, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 1. That is to say, the needle in traveling inwardly over the record, or when being restored to start ing position traverses a path substantially parallel to the inner edge of the track arm when the attachment is properly positioned with respect to the turn-table.

It might be mentioned before passing to the other features of the construction that the several parts previously mentioned, in cluding the dog 23, bell crank 27, trip finger 525, stop finger 33 and bar 36 are all mounted. on the under side of the tracl; arm as best shown in Fig. 4.

I have previously stated that wi h this attachment the playing of the record is repeated a predetermined number of times. and that then the instrument is stopped.

.An' attachment by which these results are obtained, is disclosed in both of my above mentioned application, Serial Nos. 3,674. and 24,8a3, but in my prior application referred to, this is utilized with a spring actuated brake normally withheld from operative position and finally released so that the brake may be operated under the action of the spring. An escapement mechauisn'i is also utilized to progressively move the brake lever toward, and finally to a position such that it is released to permit the spring to apply the brake.

In the present application an escapement mechanism much like that in my prior ap plications is utilized, but instead of relying on a spring to apply the brake, the brake is positively applied by the action of the track arm when it is inclined following the playmg of the record one or more times. 3

Considering now that part of my invention just referred to, it will be observed t rat the brake box 18, explained in the early part of the specification, contains a brake lever 40. (see Fig. 5) pivoted between its ends at 41 on the bottom of the brake box, and provided at one end with an upturned brake pad 40", adapted to engage the periphery of the turn-table so as to stop its rotation. and at the other end an upturned portion 40" which is normally held a short distance from the rear wall 18 of the brake box by a coinparatively weak coil spring shown by dotted lines at 42 in Fig. 6 Additionally there 0::- tends crosswise of the brake box a brake operating lever 43, this lever having one end pivoted at n to one of the side walls 18* of the brake box, and having its other end projecting through an opening 45 in the opposite side w; ll 18 of the brake box. The pivotal mounting ot' the lever 53 is such that it may not only be swung forwardly and rearwardly about its pivotal axis l i, but its outer free end may be raised and lowered also so that it can be swung from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5 to the full line position. This brake operating lever is normally pressed inwardly by a relatively stifi coil spring 46, located between the lever and the rear wall 18 of the brake box.

It will be observed, particularly by reference to Fig. 3, that at the forward edge of the opening as, the side wall 18 of the brake box is provided with a series of notches ii", there being three notches in this instance and below the notches there is a slot 48 extending forwardly or inwardly from the opening 45. Additionally it will he observed that the outer part of the track arm is provided just below its pivot with downwardly extending flange or lip 19, best shown in 3, the forward edge of which flange has a series of notches 50, also three in number in this instance. The inner edge of the brake applying lever 43 is somewhat tapered as shown in. Fig. 3, and the construction is such that if the brake lever is originally placed. say in the upper notch 47 of the bralre box, which would be the case when the maximum number of repeats was desired. as the track arm is raised and lowered during the repeating operations, the brake applying lever alternately moved from the notch of the brake boxto a notch of the track arm flange i9, and is progressively moved downward until it reaches the lowermost notch 50, and when in this notch it is directly in frontof the upturned end 40 of the brake lever 40, and in consequence when the record has been re peated the last time, the downward 1novcment of the track arm following the last upward movement pushesthe brake a 'iplying lever against the upwardly extending end 40 of the brake lever 40 so as to positively apply the brake. That is to say, the weight of the track arm and the parts carried by it act on the lever 43 with sufficient leverage to apply the brake and stop the instrument.

It the playing of the record is to be repeated only once. it will be placed in the lowermost slot. It the lever is placed in the slot 48 there will be no braking action and the playing of the record will be repeated indefinitely. It will be understood, however, that the number of times the playing of a record can be repeated before the brake is applied will depend upon the number of notches 4.7 and 50, which can, of course, be greater than here shown, but ortill ' forming or mounting the roller 31 so that it Would not vibrate or hum while the record was being played. The objections to, or disadvantages of the prior devices have been entirely'overcome by the present construc- "tion. The roller 31 is, in accordance with this invention, secured to a short pin 31.

mounted'in the forked end 32 of the roller supporting member 32. Both ends of the pin are tapered, as shown, and the tapered point of one end extends into a so-called center consisting of a shallow tapered opening in one of the arms of the fork. The other end of the pin extends through an opening in the other arm of the fork, and it is engaged by a light leaf spring 32 with a center or shallow opening receiving the point of the pin. The construction is such that the pin is held under just suflicient endwise spring pressure to prevent vibration of the roller and its pin in the fork.

The roller support member 32 has an arched portion which extends about the outer end of the U-tube where it is joined onto the sound box 16, this portion having a pair of openings 32 through which screws 32 are extended so as to secure the roller support to the sound box. Additionally the rear end of the roller support 32, located beyond the arch is in this instance provided with a fork 32 constituting jaws which may yield or spread slightly, which jaws partly encircle the U-tube next to the mounting of the latter in the forward end of the tone arm 14:, the jaws extending about and gripping the U tube just slightly beyond the center, and yielding just enough to allow them to be slipped over the tube. The advantage of this construction is that since the inner end of the roller support 32 is hooked onto the inner part of the 'U-tube and is also fastened by two spaced screws to the back of the sound box, the latter cannot turn on the U-tube so as to causethe needle to be inclined at an improper angle with respectto the record being played.

a While I have shown herein, only the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious that certain changes may be made, and I aim to cover in the appended claims all modifications and changes which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention in its broadest aspects.

Having described my invention,I claim: 1. A repeating attachment for phono graph or sound reproducing machines of the type having a spindle driven turn-table adapted to accommodate a disk record, a tone arm and sound box, said-attachment comprising means for elevating the sound box and for causing the tone arm to be swung toward starting position, and said attachment comprising also a stop device supported on a part of the attachment and adapted to be engaged by a part movable with the sound box to stop the outward movement of the tone arm, said supporting part having an inclined guideway along which said stop device may beadjuste d.

2. A repeating attachment for phonegraph or sound reproducing machines of the type having a spindle driven turn-table adapted to accommodate .a diskrecord, a tone arm and sound box, said attachment comprising means for elevating the sound box and causing, the tone arm to be swung to starting position, and including an arm adapted-to extend inwardly over the turntable, and said arm having a stop finger with a portion adapted to be engaged by a part movable with the soundbox when the tone arm is being restored to starting position, said stop finger being pivotally connected to the arm, and being adjustable along a guideway of the same;

3. A repeating attachment for phonograph or sound reproducing machines of the type having a spindle driven turn-table adapt ed to accommodate a disk record,atone arm and sound box, said attachment comprising an elevating member adapted to be rotated with the turn-table, and a track member adapted to extend inwardly toward the center of the turn-table, said track member having means whereby it may be elevated by the elevating device and engage a part movable with the sound box to restore the tone arm to starting position, and said track member having a stop finger with a portion adapted to be engaged by apart movable with the sound box to stop the outward movement of the tone arm, the stop finger being pivotally connected to the track memher, and a spring member pressed against the inner portion of the stop finger to yieldingly resist t-he turning movement of the finger on impact. r 7

4. A repeating attachment for phonograph or sound reproducing machines of the type having a spindle driven turn-table adapted to accommodate a disk record, a tone arm and sound box, said attachmentcompristhe tone arm to starting position, and said track arm having a stop finger with a port-ion adapted to be engaged by a part movable with the sound box to stop the outward movement of the tone arm, the track arm having a guide slot along which the stop finger may be adjusted, and with respect to which it may have a slight pivotal action, and a yielding abutment extending substantially parallel to the guide slot and engaging the inner portion of the stop finger.

5. A repeating and stopping attachment for phonographs having a turn-table for rotating a disk record, and having a tone arm and a sound box, said attachment comprising a brake, and means including a movable member whereby the playing of a record may be repeated a predetermined number of times after which the brake is positively actuated by said movable member to stop the rotation of the turn-table.

6. An attachment for phonographs or sound reproducing machines having a rotary turntable adapted to accommodate a disk record, said attachment comprising a brake member, and means, including a vertically swinging arm, for causing the playing of the record to be repeated a predetermined number of times, said means including a spring for actuating said arm to exert pressure on the brake member and positively move it against the turn-table.

7. A repeating and stopping attachment for sound reproducing machines having a rotary turn-table adapted to accommodate a disk record, said attachment comprising a brake member adapted to engage the turn table, but normally held therefrom, a brake applying member, and means, including a movable member, for causing the playing of the record to be repeated a predetermined number of times, the said means including a spring for actuating said movable member to exert pressure on the brake applying mem ber and cause it to press the brake against the turn-table.

8. A repeating and stopping attachment for sound reproducing machines of the type having a turn-table adapted to accommodate a disk record, said attachment comprising a brake applying member, means, including an escapement mechanism, for causing the playing of a record to be repeated a predetermined number of times, and means controlled by said escapement mechanism for moving said brake applying member progressively toward braking position, and for then exerting pressure thereon to apply the brake.

9. In a repeating attachment for sound reproducing machines of the type having a rotary turn-table, a tone arm and a sound box and a movable member adapted to shift the tone arm toward starting position, a

roller adapted to move with the sound box and to engage said member, said roller hav ing a mounting including a spring engaging the bearing of the roller to eliminate vibration.

10. In a repeating attachment for sound reproducing machines of the type having a rotary turn-table, a tone arm and a sound box and a movable member adapted to shift the tone arm toward starting position, a roller adapted to move with the sound box and to engage said member, said roller hav ing a mounting including a support, a pinbearing with a' tapered end, and a spring for pressing the tapered end against the support.

11. In a repeating attachment for soundreproducing machines of the type having a rotary turn-table, a tone arm and a sound box and a movable member adapted to shift the tone arm toward starting position, a roller adapted to move with the sound box and to engage said member, said roller having a mounting including a support with a forked end, a pin carrying the roller and mounted in the fork, and a spring for press ing one of the ends of the pin against one of the parts of the fork.

12. In a repeating attachment for sound reproducing machines of the type having a rotary turn-table, a tone arm and a sound box and a movable member adapted to shift the tone arm toward starting position, a roller adapted to move with the sound box and to engage said member, said roller having a supporting member in which the roller is journaled, and yieldable means for eliminating vibration of the roller.

13. In a repeating attachment for sound reproducing machines of the type having a rotary turn-table, a tone arm and a sound box and a movable member adapted to shift the tone arm toward starting position, a roller adapted to move with the sound box and to engage said member, said roller having a support and a journal pin spring pressed against the support to eliminate vibration.

14. In a repeating and stopping attachment for sound reproducing machines having a turn-table adapted to accommodate a disk record and having a tone arm, a U-tube connected thereto, and a sound box connected to the U-tube, said attachment comprising a movable member, a roller movable with the sound box and adapted to engage said member, a support for said roller havin a portion secured to the sound box and having another portion connected to the inner part of the U-tube near the connection thereof with the tone arm.

15. In a repeating and stopping attachment for sound reproducing machines having a turn-table adapted to accommodate a disk record and having a tone arm, a U-tube connected thereto,and asound box connected yond the sound box to engage one of the to the U-tube, said attachment comprising a parts of the machine to prevent rotation of 'movable member, a roller movable with the the sound box on the U-tube. sound box and adapted to engage said Inem- In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my 5 her, and a Support for said roller having a signature.

portion secured to the sound box and having another portion extending rearwardly be- FRANK H. ADAMS. 

